TMNT
by BML Hillen-Keene
Summary: What if the Turtle's weren't quite what you thought they were. Just a little look at just who they really are. A random series of one shots.
1. Chapter 1

**TMNT**

_Disclaimer: don't own._

_A/N: My own personal view of the turtles, just because I can, and I enjoy stirring the pot. _

To those who didn't know the Turtles their group dynamics seemed set in stone. Leonardo was the eldest, the leader, the one who brought them through various encounters without the loss of lives.

Raphael, the second son; the hothead; the vigilante; who drove head first into any situation without thought to the consequences.

Donatello, the third son, and the genius, creator of inventions, the quiet one who didn't make waves and sought only to improve his family's chances.

And finally Michelangelo, the youngest, the goofball, the resident comic relief, who you could always rely on for a good laugh.

If one did not know the Turtles these role's seemed concrete, unshakable.

But if one did know them, then a whole other world opened up before you.

One where Raphael was the oldest, the one each of the others looked to for protection, one they followed. Sure, Leo was the Leader, something that had stuck in Raph's nerves the second it was brought up, but in the end his brother's fell in line behind him when the time truly required it. It was to him they all came if there were nightmares or questions, not that he was always able to answer them, but they continued to come.

Leonardo was the second child; more level headed that Raph certainly, but without the passion and the certainty of his brother, lead to self doubts over his position as leader, a thing he himself could not understand as Raphael was the eldest and in his eyes the more deserving. But he needed to prove himself, all the time prove himself to his brother.

The role of the youngest was interchangeable between Donatello and Michelangelo, where Donnie was the most intellectually intelligent of the two, Mikey was the more emotionally grownup between them. So depending on the situation either one filled the role of the youngest. Though more oft than not they were referred to as simply 'The twins'.

They were not what anyone thought they were on the outside, which worked well for them. They were a family, and that was all that really mattered.

_I suppose I could make this multi-chaptered. Just to explain my insanity, while watching the film and the new cartoon it struck me (more in the cartoon) that Raph is the one they call for if they're in trouble in a fight, or that he's the first one to notice they're in trouble and dives straight in to save them. So it made me think, what if Raph was the oldest; that would explain why he and Leo are at odds about it, and why Leo seems to doubt himself s much. Donnie and Mikey… well, if I can mess with Raph and Leo I can certainly mess with them._

_Anyway, please review, and if you'd like me to write more, feel free to ask._


	2. Chapter 2

TMNT

_A/N: um, continuing the insanity. Chibi Turtles. Just 'cause they're cute._

Michelangelo sat on the edge of the ugly, mismatched couch Master Splinter had managed to salvage for the liar, sulking. Why was he sulking? Well, that was something of a long story, and not one he really wanted to share with the general population. Said general population being Master Splinter, who had left in despair over his youngest child's mood to meditate.

Mikey was five now, and he wasn't a baby. He was the same age as his other brothers really, technically, so he couldn't work out why they treated him like the baby. He wasn't one. He wasn't! Which was the reason he was sulking instead of playing with the new toys cars Splinter had managed to get a hold of. Only babies played with cars, which made them the babies. Not him!

So engrossed in his own little world of 'sulk' he didn't realise that Raph and Leo had started to argue. They always did. Leo said it was because they were all supposed to share, but that Raph never did. Raph said because he was the biggest brother and it was his right as said biggest brother to get all the best toys.

"Mikey?"

"What!" he snapped, instantly sorry for it when he saw the hurt look that crossed Donnie's face. "What?" he asked again, softer this time, because he knew Donnie always got upset when he got yelled at.

"How come your not playing?" Donnie asked after a long moment, in which he rebuilt his confidence to ask.

Mikey snorted, sounding very Raph like. "Playing is for babies." he stated.

Donnie frowned, and looked at the little yellow car he had brought over to entice Mikey into playing with him. "But you like playing with the cars." he tried quietly.

"Well it's for babies, and I'm not a baby!" Mikey declared.

"But…"

"I don't wanna be the youngest!" Mikey whined, in that way five year olds adopt when they can no longer hold in what is bothering them.

Donnie blinked at the confession. "But isn't it cool being the youngest?" he asked. "You get all the neat stuff."

"No I don't! Raph gets all the really neat stuff because he's the 'oldest' and Leo gets all the cool stuff left over, and then you get the better stuff than I get, because I'm the youngest! I never get the better stuff than anyone else 'cause I'm the last one!"

Donnie considered this complaint carefully. "You can have my stuff if you want." he offered.

Mikey shook his head stubbornly, not willing to come out of his sulk just yet. "I can't!" He stressed. "Your older than me, so I can't!"

Donnie looked at him, silently.

"And then Raphie and Leo always pick on me 'cause I'm the youngest, and they always tell me I can't play with them 'cause I'm the baby. I wanna be older than somebody!" he continued to complain.

"But really we're all the same age." Donnie pointed out.

"I know that!" Mikey snapped. "So why do I got to be the youngest?"

Now, if it had of been Raphael or Leonardo he had been speaking to he probably would have been told that it was because he acted like a baby. But he was lucky; he was talking to Donatello, who always took things seriously, in his own quiet way.

"I could be the youngest if you want." Donnie offered finally, fiddling with the little yellow car, looking shyly at his brother.

Mikey thought about that. "Ok then…" he bounded off the mismatched couch and over to the cars, immediately gathering up Donatello's, because now that he wasn't the youngest he got to play with those (not that he couldn't have already). Then he looked back at Donnie, who was still watching him, spinning the wheels of the little car with his finger, and had an enlightened moment and grinned happily.

"You can't be the youngest all the time!" he told Donnie firmly, waving his brother over to him. "'Cause that wouldn't be fair. But you can be the youngest some of the time."

"And you be the youngest the rest of the time?" Donnie questioned.

Mikey nodded. "Yep. But now I'm the big brother!"

Donnie smiled, actually quite happy with the way things had turned out, sometimes he had wished he was the youngest, especially when Mikey had gotten special attention when he was upset or something like that. "Ok!" Donnie smiled, and the two began to play with the cars.

When Splinter saw them later he was just glad Michelangelo had stopped sulking and was playing with his brothers. What he didn't know what that on that day the entity known only as 'The Twins' had been born.

_Sorry, just had to write it. It's not very good, but I did think it was kind of cute. I just have this vision of Mikey and Don, where, when you think about it logically, Michelangelo is a lot more emotionally secure in a way; he had three older brothers who would do anything for him. Don, I like to think of him as more intellectually developed, but only because he doesn't know how to handle his emotions properly so he makes everything scientific, so in a way they are both the youngest brothers, and thus the Twins are born. (like I said, personal views here)_

_Please Review._


	3. Chapter 3

**TMNT**

_a/n: I will write a Leo/Raph centred one, but I've just watched Same as it Never was, and as a die hard Donnie fan I am I must write an epilogue in my own odd Auish little world. Sorry. Leo and Raph will be next, honest._

When the adrenalin had faded, and the euphoria of being back in their own lair had left, Donnie found himself shaking like a leaf, watching his brothers. His young, non-permanently scarred or injured, very much alive brothers. Who where already swapping stories about where or when they had been. All Donnie wanted was for his brothers to turn around and notice him, to realise he needed them to be over here. That he needed to be the youngest brother, just for a little while.

"Donnie?" Mikey asked, having turned back to ask his brother a question, and been shocked to see his normally unflappable brother shaking, and staring at them, hungrily, like he was trying to commit every detail of them to memory. Suddenly he recalled what Donatello had said earlier _'You're alive and young… Mikey, you have both your arms!' _

God what type of place had he been sent to?

"Donnie?" he asked again, going back to stand in front of his brother.

Donatello looked at Michelangelo then, before suddenly slinging his arms around his neck, burrowing his face in Michelangelo's shoulder. There were no tears, because Donnie never cried. Michelangelo knew that, he had played big brother enough times to know that. Sometime's he just needed to be held. So that's exactly what Michelangelo did.

Michelangelo looked at his older brothers, with an age in his eyes comparable to there's, and one an outsider would not recognise on his face, believing him to be incapable of such seriousness. Leonardo and Raphael had gathered close, both looking worried.

"Wanna talk about it?" Michelangelo asked after a long silence, receiving a shake of the head and a tightening of the arms. "How 'bout we go to the couch, get more comfortable huh?" A silent wait before a small nod.

Raphael and Leo watched them make their way slowly to the couch, it wasn't a normal occurrence this type of switch between their brothers. There was an unspoken rule that neither was referred to as younger than the other unless otherwise stated by one of the pair, and to be truthful the way they switched roles was hardly noticeable to the others on the family any longer. But it was times like this, times of such complete and utter emotional upheaval that Donnie adopted the 'role of the youngest', so that he could have the full and total support of all his brothers without having to worry himself about looking after Mikey, because he knew Mikey took being a big brother very seriously if the time called for it.

Sharing a look the two eldest bounded across the room and settled on either side of the twins, Raph beside Donnie so that it would be easier to pry him off Mikey when it looked like Mikey was about to go numb in that position, or even more likely, for when he couldn't stand to merely watch Mikey comfort Donnie and needed to do so himself.

Leo looked ready to question, but managed to keep it in check, however much he wanted to know just what had happened to make Donnie like this. He knew the questions could wait until his brother was feeling more himself. And he would be. None of them would let him be anything but.

_Um… Sorry again, and honest, Raph and Leo are up next. Like I said, Big Don fan here couldn't let the bunny pass me by. Don't be too angry with me._


	4. Chapter 4

**TMNT**

_A/N: The promised Raph/Leo piece. I hope you enjoy. Do review a story if you enjoy it. Based off season 4, the beginning of it at any rate, you know when Leo was pretending to be Raph._

Raphael had been waiting for days to get Leo properly alone; he was about ready to give his younger brother the beating of his life for acting so much… well, so much like him. Unfortunately, other little brothers had been running interference, distracting him just as he was about to haul Leo off for a good stern talking to. Though most times talking wasn't what he had in mind.

He knew he and Leo didn't have the best relationship sometimes (only because Leo kept trying to play Big big brother, just because he was the leader), but honestly, the other's should trust him more. He knew when to differentiate between being 'Normal hot-headed Raphael' and 'Big brother Raphie'. Though Leo deserved a bit of the first definition what with the way he'd been acting lately.

But the others had all gone out, even Splinter, over to Aprils for the evening. Leo had pleaded out, predictably, saying he wanted to train more. Raph had just grunted a no and it had been left at that. So now he was alone with Leo, exactly how had wanted it for the last few days.

Now there were those who mistook Raphael's way of studying his brother and not actually making conversation, as his uncertainty over how to deal with the situation. And while Raph had never before had to deal with Leo in this black mood, his silence was not out of uncertainty. He knew exactly what to do with this particular little brother; it was just waiting for the right time to implement his plan.

So he waited, his arms crossed, leaning against one of the large pillars, watching Leo train. Waiting.

"What do you want Raphael?" Leo questioned shortly.

"You mean beside's my little brother back?" Raph asked right back.

He saw the grimace that passed over Leo's face, and nodded inwardly, he knew his brother well.

There was silence for a long time, settling between them almost like a separate entity, watching them. Raphael waited, because he knew exactly what Leo was going to ask next. Those who didn't know them would never understand how Raphael could be so patient, not when he was normally so impatient. They had obviously never had three younger brothers to watch out for; patience and impatience went hand in hand, like a twisted oxymoron. You learned when to stop and listen.

"Want to spar?" Leo asked finally.

"Sure." Raph pulled his sai from his belt, twirled them once before gripping them tightly, waiting for Leo to make the first move.

And move he did.

Weapons clashed, there was none of the usual jumping, spinning, kicking, punching, just weapon against weapon, each trying to push the other back, locked in a struggle of wills that would end in only one way. They both knew that, but it was a game. A lead up to the main event.

Finally Leo dropped his swords, letting them clatter to the floor in defeat. Raph nodded and his sai were returned to their place on his belt. It was time to talk.

"There a reason you're acting like me lately?" Raph asked quietly.

Leo shrugged.

"Leo!" he warned, letting a hint of a growl enter his tone, he needed Leo to know he wasn't getting out of this. "What the shell is up with you?"

There was no response. That was fine, Raphael was going to do most of the talking anyway, he had known that from the start.

"It's the shredder, isn't it?" he didn't wait for a response. "You think you failed us."

"I did." Leo said.

"Would love to know how?" Raph challenged. "You made a decision Leo. A tough one, and one I'm glad the Utroms helped us out of, but I don't see how you failed us."

"I couldn't come up with a better plan." Leo stated, softly, voice laced with guilt. "Some leader I am."

Raph nodded to himself, root of the problem right there. "Your right, some leader you are."

Leo looked up at him then, startled. Raph normally steered away from baiting him when they were like this. His gaze dropped guiltily then. He supposed he deserved it.

"I mean, you made the decision to blow up that power coil didn't you? Knowing it would kill all of us. Hell if it hadn't been for the Utroms we'd be dead right about now wouldn't we?" Raph ignored the continued and persistent guilt on Leo's face as he spoke. "Hell, if the Utrom's hadn't been there the Shredder could be dead right about now too. But so would we, and that's not a good thought, is it Leo? But you made that decision."

Leo's shoulders slumped with every recrimination.

"I couldn't have." Raph admitted quietly, startling Leo into looking up again. "I couldn't have made that decision. Even knowing it was our only choice to defeat him. I couldn't have done it. That's why you're the Leader Leo, and I know I rag you about it, and I always will, but you're the leader because you can make those kinds of decisions. I couldn't. Give up my life for any one of you, in a flash, but make a decision that could kill you? Even if it saved the universe. Couldn't do it Leo. I don't have that kind of strength."

"Strength?" Leo snorted in derision.

Raph's eyes softened completely and he took a single step forward and pulled Leo towards him. He knew he hadn't gotten through, not completely at any rate. It was more something Leo would have to do himself. But he did know that somewhere in his little brother's twisted little brain he understood what Raph was trying to tell him.

Leo gave into the hug gratefully. And Raph held him. He had never understood why he had to play this game with Leo to get to this point, Donnie and Mikey were easy, when they were upset about anything all he had to do was reel them in for a half hug, and if that didn't help then they talked. But then, Leo always had been the awkward one.

Raph just hoped he'd sort himself out soon; he didn't like not being able to take away the pain of his brothers.

_Emm, I was originally going to do a sort of chibi one with Leo being give the role of the leader, but Season 4 gave me a rather interesting opening. I don't particularly like Leo, and I just wanted someone to bash him on the head the whole time, but I figured I'd highlight Raph's big brotherness. Trust me, I have two little brothers, and I act a lot like Raph (minus the going out and bashing heads), you know, quick temper and things, but you do learn to sit and be patience when the time calls for it, even if it is listening to one of the brats going on for hours about some new computer game. I also wanted to keep it with the series in a way, so Raph couldn't take away Leo's self recrimination, but he tried, and he offered what comfort he could. Next one-shot is going to be amusing (for me at least)_

_Please review._


	5. Chapter 5

**TMNT**

_A/N: Before we start, I would like to point out that this is how me and my younger brother act, not that we are huge fans of the particular thing in this one-shot (can't give it away), well, our parents are, so we all sit and watch it, and enjoy it, but like I said, me and brother act like this over other stuff, and I'm three years older than him, so I figured Don and Mikey would probably act that way too. Anyway, onto the actual story._

Raph and Leo were outside the lair, having been chased out by Don and Mikey who had hijacked the television for the entire evening. And not even the fearless leader and Hard-ass Raphael were going to dare go in there and disturb them. Not on this night.

It had been planned from the second they had gotten hold of the weeks TV listings, Donnie had even printed off notices and stuck them round the lair so that everyone would be reminded of the upcoming event and that they were not to disturb the two who would be watching it. Splinter had vanished into his room for the evening, having no intention to leave it unless there was a great emergency. Raph and Leo would have stayed in the lair too, but they were expressly banned from making one iota of noise while the billed event was taking place.

Don had shuffled them out while Mikey had been raiding the kitchen for all the snacks they had been hoarding. Telling them to go visit April and Casey for a while. Which brings us to the two turtles standing outside the lair, trying to decide what to do with themselves.

Sharing a look they both decided to go and bother April and Casey for the evening, because if they went topside for a run they would probably get into a fight, which wouldn't be good, especially since backup would not be arriving until at the very least 11pm. So, on the odds that they would get into a fight with overwhelming numbers of foot soldiers and purple dragons, because luck would just run that way on them. The safest bet was to go to Aprils.

There Leo could have a scintillating conversation with April, and Raph and Casey could discuss the best way to bust heads. All in all much preferable to standing out in the sewer and definitely preferable to being in there, with the Twins in super geek mode.

April was understandably surprised to find Leo and Raph on her doorstep, more used to having Don and Mikey show up to spend random evenings with her when Leo and Raph started to fight for no reason. She had to wonder what had driven Raph and Leo to her door together of all things. But she invited them in; telling them Casey was stopping over later, waving them to the couch.

It wasn't long before curiosity made her ask. "Where are Donnie and Michelangelo?"

The twin grimaces that crossed the turtle's faces surprised her, and she frowned, waiting for a reply.

"They're… watching a show." Leo offered finally.

"Ahh." April said, thinking furiously to work out why that had sent Leo and Raph to her door.

"They kicked us out of the lair. Said we make too much noise." Raph volunteered after a minute.

April nodded, but her confusion continued to grow. Why had Donnie and Mikey kicked their brothers out of the lair?

Seeing her confusion Leo took pity. "They've been planning this night all week April. There's a series of films on tonight they want to watch. And trust me; you don't want to come between them and these films. It's not worth the consequences."

"Consequences?" she asked, looking between them, perplexed when Raph actually shuddered.

"One by themselves is only so bad. But you don't want the twins to gang up on you. It's not a pleasant experience. Trust us." Leo told her.

Having heard them referred to as 'the twins' before, and having once or twice seen this phenomenon in action April was not as surprised as she could have been by Raph and Leo's reactions to this threat.

"So what films are they watching?" she asked, infinitely curious now.

"Star Trek." came the reply in unison.

X

Raph and Leo edged their way into the Lair, not taking any chances on bringing down the wrath of the Twins. But the television was turned off, so they figured they were safe. Maybe they had gone to bed.

Hopefully they had gone to bed.

"Hey Donnie?"

No such luck!

"Yes Mikey?"

Damn!

"Do you think they have any?"

What were they on about this time?

"I don't know Mikey."

Oh this wasn't going to be good.

"Should we ask?"

Goddammit, why?

"Oh yes!"

That sounded positively gleeful!

"Raph, Leo?"

Raph and Leo winched in unison, "Yes?" they asked, and braced themselves for the inevitable.

"Where do you keep the _Nuclear Wessels_?"

And they cracked up laughing, clinging to each other. Leaving their older brothers groaning. Knowing that this was only the beginning.

_I don't know what's sadder, admitting that myself and previously mentioned little brother actually spent about two hours solid laughing over this particular line, repeating it to each other and the rest of our family just so we could giggle at it again. Or the fact that I actually just wrote a story about it. Sigh. I could see this happening, what with Don and Mikey being big Star Trek fans (the original series); Mikey mentions it in one episode I recall._

_Review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**TMNT**

_A/n: We have yet another Raph/Leo story, remember the chibi one I mentioned, well, it's that. I think I should apologise here for all previous, and subsequent stories in this little random one-shot library, the turtles are probably very OOC, but as I can't seem to come up with a suitable long winded story to properly delve into their characters (don't have the patience for it at the moment, despite loving the whole series and the movie). So accept my humble apologies, but do keep reading! I live to entertain others._

Raphael knelt, his eyes wide, completely confused. He was aware of every single member of his family watching him, two in abject shock, one in anxious fear for his inevitable explosion, and one, the cause of all this, with patient eyes. Swallowing the lump in his throat he found he couldn't move. Though he could feel the burn already beginning in his gut, and knew he was going to explode. But right at this moment all he could do was sit there and look, understandably, shocked.

He could hear Mikey and Donnie whispering behind him, both just as confused as he was. He could hear Leo trying to tell Master Splinter that maybe this was a mistake, and he could hear Master Splinter firmly telling Leo that it was not a mistake.

Raphael couldn't believe it.

He absolutely couldn't believe it.

He was the oldest. Not that there was technically an oldest as they were all the same age, but that didn't matter, he was the oldest. It was basic hierarchy. And Master Splinter had without so much as a second thought (or so Raph believed) completely destroyed that hierarchy. They were all supposed to follow him. He was supposed to be the leader. Because he was the oldest.

So why was Leo the leader?

It was a thought he just couldn't get his head around. Did that mean Master Splinter didn't think he was good enough? Was that it? Just because Leo was better in lessons than the rest of them. Did that somehow place him at a higher level than the rest of them?

Wasn't he (Raph) the one they all came to if they got scared of the dark? Even Leo came to him. Didn't that count for anything?

Seven year old eyes hardened then as the anger consumed him and he got to his feet. The room fell silent and his little brothers watched him, their expressions a mixture of concern and nervousness.

"Raphael." Splinter started to say. "My son…"

With great effort Raphael held back the angry words, too angry to say them. "Excuse me sensei." and without waiting to be given permission to leave the training area he turned and made his way to the practice dummy Splinter had set up for them, and in an instant he had set upon it, throwing every single thing he had into destroying it.

Two hours later he stopped, collapsing back in exhaustion. Only to find Leo standing watching him, twisting his hands anxiously. "What!" he snapped, not in the mood to deal with an anxious Leo, after all, he was the Leader, he could look after himself, and everyone else, without his help.

"Raph…" Leo trailed off uncertain.

Raphael didn't want to hear it, he was still angry. "Shut it, Splinter junior." he bit out scathingly.

He almost felt bad about that when Leo looked about to cry, but his brother soon recovered, and the hand twisting stopped as he straightened up. Meeting Raph's eyes coolly he responded in kind. "Fine, Hot-head."

Raphael glared, and clenched his fists.

And so their rivalry was born.

_Hehe, whatcha think? Please review._


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